Why You Should Automate All Your Spending And Live "Money Free"

Only recently has it become possible to fully automate your expenses. However, finance blog I Heart Budgets proposes taking this idea a step further: by automating all of your finances, you can effectively live "money free."

The concept is so simple it almost doesn't feel like it's possible. All of the pieces are there, however. Most bills can be automated and even if a particular bill doesn't have an automated system, many banks will send scheduled checks for you. You can also schedule a goodly amount of your regular grocery shopping. Even automatically withdrawal money for savings. For everything that can't be automated, you can manage your discretionary spending with a "remainder" bucket:

Now it's time to automate all other spending. Don't let that grimy cash touch your perfect hands, gross! No, just hop on over to Mint.com, go to the "Budgets" section and create your budget to track all of your discretionary spending. You can then set email notifications for when you hit the budget limit on those items. No more thinking about money, just stay within your normal spending, and Mint will let you know as you hit your limit for a certain category. No thinking = no worries!

If you're living paycheck to paycheck with no money leftover in your account, this method might be risky (you don't want to risk overdrawing your account). However, if you have a decent buffer, the psychological benefits of knowing your recurring expenses pay themselves can make a world of difference on your stress. By making a fully automated financial system your goal, you avoid the need to worry about budgets because your system has all of that built in.

How To Not Worry About Money Ever Again (And It's Not What You Think!) | I Heart Budgets via Rockstar Finance

Photo by 401k Calculator.